Newbie Looking for Resources

My husband and I just bought a small homestead and moved in late last spring. This year, we are seeing for the first time lots of familiar looking plants that I think might be edibles, but I have no clue what I'm doing and don't want to poison my family. Anyone know of any good resources we could use to figure out what these things are and if they are safe? We live in northeast Ohio if that's helpful at all.

Replies to This Discussion

Hi Lexirain. Since you confess that you don't have a clue about foraging, I would personally suggest that you begin slowly. I would also suggest working with books for identification and to partner up with someone who is experienced. Also, I would suggest that you begin with nuts or fruits and leave the roots, fungi, and greens alone until you gain experience. Hopefully you work with others who can show you the way. Plants that look familiar may be familiar to you, yes, but they also may be toxic!! For example, mistaking poison hemlock for wild carrot would be a fatal error. Be safe and cautious -- when you do 'sample', go slowly to make sure your system is tolerant even when you have identified wild foods.

In Ohio, toxic and edible plants can be found. When you begin your research, look at the flora/fauna specific to your region. Also, research what the Natives subsisted on.

My favorite foraging books are by Samuel Thayer. Another good book is by Kallas. Most of my foraging was learned from my mother and grandfather. I'm a 4th generation forager and still learning about wild foods.

My favorite book for I.D.ing plants is Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. It teaches you all about leaf type, petal type, the different parts of the plant, and it has a glossary. You can tell if you're getting better at identifying plants by using the locator key (too complicated to explain in a reply, but take a look at the book); if the locator key sends you to a picture that looks like your plant, you i.d.'ed the leaves, etc correctly. It covers all of Ohio (among other places). Then, get your hands on a Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants (Peterson Guide). It never hurts to have more books than you need, because some are more in-depth than others. I have also had books contradict one another as to whether a plant is safe, and I err on the side of caution.